National nonprofit The Blue Card partnered with Jewish Community Services (JCS) of South Florida to host a 23-person team that ran the Miami Marathon and Half Marathon, and raised funds that will go to support Holocaust survivors living in poverty in Miami-Dade.
In just two weeks, the JCS Alliance Team Blue Card raised nearly $23,000 for Holocaust survivors in the community.
The Blue Card, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to providing ongoing, direct financial aid and support to Holocaust survivors in the United States, is one of the race’s official charity partners, and has hosted a Miami Marathon team with JCS for the past five years.
At endurance sporting events in New York, Miami and around the world, members of Team Blue Card have raised more than $1 million since 2009. Overall, The Blue Card has provided more than $30 million to thousands of struggling Holocaust survivors.
The Blue Card helps 2,500 Holocaust survivor households throughout the U.S. with ongoing assistance for most basic needs including food, rent and utilities, and for emergencies such as dental care and special medical equipment, along with many other programs to improve mental well-being.
‘Of the more than 100,000 Holocaust survivors living in the United States, an estimated one-third live at or below the poverty line, making it difficult to afford proper medical care, mental health care, nutrition and other basic necessities.
JCS serves more than 600 Holocaust survivors with a comprehensive and wide range of programs designed to help them to live at home with independence and dignity. It provides comprehensive case management, personal care, nursing assessments, counseling, housekeeping, financial assistance and meals on wheels programs, as well as the assistance from volunteer companions. The Blue Card, which serves the neediest Holocaust survivors, relies on JCS to evaluate Miami-Dade survivors for their eligibility to become recipients.
“The Blue Card is proud to be a charity partner of the Miami Marathon, and to work with JCS to help the many Holocaust survivors in the Miami-Dade area who are struggling,” said Masha Pearl, executive director of The Blue Card.
“Survivors in South Florida and around the country are in desperate need of assistance. Joining Team Blue Card is a great way to give back, while also getting to have an amazing experience,” Pearl said.
“We are very proud that Miami’s runners joined the JCS Alliance and The Blue Card to support Holocaust survivors in the Miami Marathon,” said Marian Mendelsohn, director of Community Engagement for JCS. JCS honors and respects those who endured the Holocaust by offering support, care and compassion for this unique population. As we continue to lose more Holocaust survivors, very soon we will not have the opportunity to do this fundraiser. We need to help take care of survivors now.”
To make a donation to Team Blue Card that will support Miami-Dade Holocaust survivors, visit www.crowdrise.com/jcs-alliance-team-blue-cards-fundraiser-run-for-holocaust-survivors-in-miami. For more information about The Blue Card, visit www.bluecardfund.org.
